The Peach Twig Borer (PTB) is a major pest in stone fruit orchards. One pest control method currently employed involves spraying orchards with insecticides. This method is problematic in various ways. Insecticides are applied directly to the fruit, a practice that is contrary to an increasing preference for organic produce as well as contrary to water quality issues and other environmental concerns. Insecticides are also nondiscriminate killers and kill beneficial insects as well as harmful insects. Finally, the PTB is becoming resistant to many of the common insecticides.
An alternative method to control insect populations involves the use of the insect's sex attractant to confuse the male insect and thereby prevent mating and eliminate future insect generations. This technique is called mating pattern disruption. The biggest problem in using mating pattern disruption to control insect populations is the cost of producing the insect pheromone. Usually the cost of insect pheromone application is the same as or greater than traditional insecticide applications. Methods that reduce the production costs of insect pheromones would make mating pattern disruption an economical technique for controlling insect populations.
PTB pheromone is an 85:15 ratio of E-5-decenyl acetate and E-5-decenol. Thus production of 5-decenyl acetate, which is the major component of PTB pheromone, is a significant step of the PTB pheromone manufacturing process. The acetate can be subsequently removed by hydrolysis to obtain E-5-decenol, the other component of PTB pheromone.
A fast, inexpensive, and high yield process for synthesizing E-5-decenyl acetate is, therefore, desirable.